After dragging Greece to the Olympic Games, Giannis Antetokounmpo was officially appointed the flag bearer position for his country at Paris 2024 alongside foot march athlete Antigoni Drisbioti.
During the parade of nations at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, Greece always enters the stadium first and leads the parade to honor its status as the birthplace of the Olympics, with the notable exception of 2004 when Greece entered last as the host nation.
Representing his country at nearly every opportunity has been important to Antetokounmpo ever since he established a foothold in the NBA and with the Milwaukee Bucks – and the Olympic Games were always a goal.
His country has now honored him. The Hellenic Olympic Committee named Antetokounmpo a flag bearer for the opening ceremonies on the Seine River on July 26 in Paris, France. He will join race walker Antigoni Drisbioti as the first athletes to open the Games.
It is a historic moment for Greece, as Antetokounmpo becomes the first Black athlete to bear its flag in the Games.
Antetokounmpo was asked about the possibility of holding a flag following the game against Croatia.
“That is an honor,” he said. “If I am the flagbearer, great. If I am not, OK. I am just happy that I have a good coaching staff and a good team, I am in the Olympics. I just want to go and compete. But I would enjoy every moment.”
Greece will be represented by 101 athletes across 17 sports at the Paris Olympic Games due to begin on July 26. The latest addition is the National Basketball Team of 12 players that qualified on Sunday.
Greece has a long presence at the Olympic Games, as they have competed at every Summer Olympic Games, one of only five countries to have done so.
As the home of the Ancient Olympic Games it was a natural choice as host nation for the revival of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, while Greece has also hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Athletes representing Greece at the Paris Olympic Games
Athletics – 14
Miltos Tentoglou, long jump
Emmanuel Karalis, pole vault
Katerina Stefanidi, pole vault
Christos Frantzeskakis, hammer throw
Antigoni Drisbioti, 20 km gait
Michalis Anastasakis, hammer throw
Elina Jengo, javelin
Tatiana Gushin, high jump
Eleni Polak, pole vault
Stamatia Skarveli, hammer throw
Ariadne Adamopoulou, pole vault
Polyniki Emmanouilidou 100m., 200m.
Kyriaki Filtisakou 20 km.
Panagiota Dossi, long jump
Swimming – 16
Anna Duntounaki: 100m butterfly, 4x100m mixed team
Nora Drakou: 50m freestyle, 4x100m mixed team
Georgia Damasioti: 100m, 200m butterfly
Christian Golomeev: 50m freestyle
Apostolos Christou: 100m, 200m backstroke, 4x100m mixed team
Stergios Bilas: 50m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle
Vangelis Makrygiannis: 100m backstroke
Dimitris Markos: 800m, 1.500m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle
Apostolos Papastamos: 200m, 400 m. mixed individual
Apostolos Siskos: 200m backstroke
Andreas Vazaios: 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle
Kostas Englezakis: 4x200m freestyle
Kostas Stamos: 4x200m freestyle
Vangelis Doumas: 4x100m mixed team
Odysseas Meladinis: 4x100m freestyle
Panagiotis Bolanos: 4x100m freestyle
Alkis Kynigakis: 10km marathon swimming
Artistic swimming – 2
Evangelia Platanioti, Sophia Malkoyeorgou – duet
Rowing – 7
Stefanos Duskos – skiing
Christina Bourbou, Evangelia Anastasiadou – double sculls
Zoe Fitsiou, Milena Kontou – lightweight double skiff
Antonis Papakonstantinou, Petros Gaidatzis – double skiff lightweight
Shooting – 5
Anna Korakaki – 10 air pistol, 25m. pistol
Christina Moschi – 10m air pistol
Emmanouela Katzouraki – skiing
Makis Mitas – skiing
Babis Halkiadakis – skiing
Gymnastics – 1
Lefteris Petrounias – gymnastics, rings
Tennis – 4
Maria Sakkari – single
Stefanos Tsitsipas – single
Stefanos Tsitsipas, Maria Sakkari – mixed
Stefanos Tsitsipas, Petros Tsitsipas – doubles
Maria Sakkari, Despina Papamichael – doubles
Sailing – 4
Byron Kokkalanis – IQFoil
Cameron Maramenidis – kite formula
Ariadne Spanaki, Odysseus Spanakis – 470 mixed
Cycling – 1
George Bouglas – road cycling
Wrestling – 3
Giorgos Kouyoumtsidis – 74k free
Dauren Kurugliev – 86k free
Maria Prevolaraki – 53k free
Judo – 2
Elizabeth Teltsidou – 70k
Theo Tselidis – 90k
Horse riding – 1
Ioli Mytilineou – jumping obstacles
Fencing – 1
Dora Gountoura – sabre
Table tennis – 1
Panagiotis Gionis
Water Polo – National Men’s Team 13
Manos Zerdevas
Panagiotis Tzortzatos (goalkeepers)
Dinos Yenedounias
Dimitris Skumbakis
Stathis Kalogeropoulos
Yannis Fountoulis
Alexandros Papanastasiou
Nikos Gillas
Stelios Argyropoulos Kanakakis
Nikos Papanikolaou
Kostas Kakaris
Dimitris Nicolaides
Angelos Vlachopoulos
Water Polo – Women’s National Team 13
Ioanna Stamatopoulou
Chrysoula Diamantopoulou (goalkeepers)
Eleftheria Plevritou
Margarita Plevritou
Vasiliki Plevritou
Ioanna Hydirioti
Nikoleta Eleftheriadou
Eleni Xenaki
Alexandra Asimaki
Maria Patra
Irini Ninou
Athena Giannopoulou
Maria Miriokefalitaki
Basketball – National men’s team – 12
